YEREVAN (Combined Sources) — Armenian opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan failed to secure a majority of votes in parliament on Tuesday, May 1, to become prime minister after weeks of protests forced the previous holder of the post to step down.
Pashinyan, who was the only candidate for the post, had called on individual members of parliament to cross party lines and support him when the ruling Republican party said that it would not vote for him after a nine-hour session.
In a vote late on Tuesday, he received 45 votes, eight short of the 53 he needed to have a majority in the 105-seat legislature.
Thousands of opposition supporters had spent the day rallying outside the parliament building to support Pashinyan. While addressing MPs earlier in the day, he warned that Armenia would be struck by a “political tsunami” if he were not appointed as prime minister.
The vote result means that the parliament will have to meet again on May 8 for another debate on the next prime minister. Under the Armenian constitution, the legislature will be automatically disbanded and fresh elections will be called if it again fails to choose a premier.
Pashinyan, whose candidacy was dismissed in the National Assembly today, was again rallying at Republic Square on Wednesday evening.